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Indulto

"Players Up" blogger Indulto is a retired computer programming residing in SoCal and has been betting Thoroughbreds since the days of Kelso, cashing his first ticket at Saratoga while in college.

Indulto is well known in racing's cyber world as a participant on the Ragozin Sheets message board, the PaceAdvantage Forum, Paulick Report, and has made important contributions to the industry's audience as an HRI Readers Blog contributor.

Indulto was active in the formation of the Horseplayers Association of North America and with former HANA colleagues worked on the Players' Boycott of California racing when takeout rates were increased by the legislature there.

Taking his nickname from the King Ranch color-bearer of the 1960s, Indulto now devotes his time to advocate for the recreational player and hobbyist, but prefers lower takeout rates for all rather than subsidized rebates for the few.

Indulto supports the creation of a centralized racing authority to establish uniform rules for racing and wagering and for those standards to be enforced consistently.

Syndicate

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

An on-line petition is being circulated requesting the U.S. Senate to establish a National Horse Racing Commission (NHRC).

The driving force behind this effort is Sean Kerr, who is listed as the Interim Executive Director, Bladerunners: National Horse Racing Commission Movement.

The following passage appears in the petition:

"The purpose of establishing NHRC is to protect all those that are involved in this sport. That includes owners and trainers. Many trainers come under scrutiny for violations, where in another state it may not be so. This causes confusion among ranks and damage to their reputations and livelihood. This contradiction within the system causes failure for viability and protection. This must change.

With a NHRC in place all jurisdictions will fall under the same rules; it will level the playing field. We believe that fairness in business and all transactions has the utmost value to bring the sport of horse racing into a modern model of sportsmanship and clean competition...”

My concern here is the possibility that racing's customers are once again being left out of the equation. A friend of mine closer to the situation has assured me that "level playing field" and "fairness in ... all transactions" is intended to encompass wagering as well as racing, but as my mother always told me: "Be sure to get it in writing."

The Senators and the witnesses attending the recent hearing on "Medication and Performance Enhancing Drugs in Horse Racing" may actually support the concept of uniform rules of racing and wagering with harsh penalties for violators that are enforced consistently, but there is little uniformity of opinion as to what those rules and penalties should be.

Banning race day medication has become an issue as contentious as Obamacare. "Put the horse first" may be the rallying cry of reformers, but "make the horse finish first" is the cheater's mantra.

Like some of the owners and trainers in control of racing now, there are some horseplayers who are also vested in the status quo. For them, "No news is good news" and the best change is none at all. It's the little guys among owners, trainers, and players -- forced to compete on playing fields tilted toward deep pockets -- that need to be organized to collectively influence a correction through strength in numbers. The petition authors may not appreciate how much all have in common.

While some racing participants seek Federal intervention, in New York State the Governor has decided to intervene in the operation of the New York Racing Association based on takeout "irregularities" that involved overcharging takeout and underpaying winning bettors by a total of $8.5 M over a 15-month period. So far no petitions have appeared in NYRA's defense, even though their loudest critics were those in charge of oversight bodies charged with preventing such fiascos.

If the wayward Hayward was the monkey that spoke no evil (but keyed it), then the ornery Sabini and the angry Megna were the state-appointed sapiens who neither saw nor heard any: The former claimed it was simply an oversight, but the others demonstrated spectacularly that they didn't provide any.

Indeed, this joint commission to control the criminally clueless - if not the crooked and corrupt -- were caught napping on the job.

Consider: Was the situation scandalous? Yes. Did it involve betting? Yes. Did winning bettors lose money they should not have? Yes, but the practice of rebating high-volume bettors at the expense of players without such subsidies has the same effect (and more than 1% worth); a fact ignored by racing regulators and operators for the benefit of the perpetrators.

Enabling professional gamblers to "Beat the System" while destroying the game is the real betting scandal.

I tried to find the member of the news media who first tied that term to the thwarted takeout termination uncovered finally, if not snappily, by DiNapoli. Googling '"betting scandal" NYRA' proved inconclusive, but it did reveal the term's most frequent repeater, "reporter" Adam Sichko of "The Busness Review" at bizjournals.com.

This prolific columnist's audience appears widened by references and links in "The Capital Business Blog," "World News, Inc.," "buzzbox.com," "Sports Betting Review," and others. After reading his related columns in chronological order, the uncharitable among us might equate his unquestioning and unchallenging articles on the State's takeover of NYRA to administration press releases.

Whatever his agenda, Mr. Sichko's coverage appears to have played a significant role in promoting the public's acceptance of the Administration's actions against the association.

Regarding new NYRA board appointments, only the "NY Post" seems to have a source within the administration. Frederic Dicker reported that the existing board and executives will continue until the end of the Saratoga meet.

"The source said Cuomo's office has been flooded with experienced racing hands interested in being appointed to the board. State Operations Director Howard Glaser is coordinating the appointment process," and that "the governor's office has heard from about 200 experienced racing executives interested in that post."

Also, according to the source, "We're getting interest from people around the country, and the selection won't be limited to New Yorkers."

"These are people interested in becoming part of the New York family, and it may make sense for us to have expertise from people from other states."

"The hope is to bring entirely new blood onto the board, people who perhaps know more about horse racing outside New York rather than the current group that's been very insular."

"There are some former executives from Churchill Downs [in Kentucky], as well as other prominent racing venues."

One can only hope the above reflects the Governor's intent to work cooperatively with other jurisdictions to develop model rules with best practices from all venues for conducting racing and wagering in New York; one that other states would also be willing to adopt in lieu of Federal intervention.

If Mr. Kerr were to read this, perhaps his organization could persuade Congress to mandate the formation of an NHRC board as a rotating representative body from racing states to facilitate joint action toward uniformity with funding from those states.

Like the UN Security Council, there could be permanent members; CA, FL, LA, KY, and NY, as well as multiple rotating member tiers completing [as an example] a nine-member board, with three members from AK, DE, IL, MD, NJ, and PA, and one from AZ, IN, MA, MN, MS, NM, OH, OR, TX, VA, WA, WV, etc. All states would be kept in the loop for input and ratification.

When the model is proven workable, the Federal government could then use the IHRIA to mandate its implementation in all states with enforcement by a commissioner who would serve at the pleasure of the NHRC board.

Once the Federal government is willing to act, it should also make it legal for adult residents of any state to wager on-line -- at least in the privacy of one's home -- on races at any racetrack at a direct and effective takeout rate which is the same for all pari-mutuel pool participants

At the top of the commentary it reads ‘By Indulto’. At the bottom it reads ‘Written by John Pricci’. Duh?

Who is John Galt? Who is Indulto? Who are those guys? (Butch and Sundance). Maybe Indulto is D. B. Cooper, or Jack Klugman.

I read that Thoroughbred racing is still referred to as a sport. I guess pouring money into slot machines and using chips on the blackjack table and crap table are sports also as no one would be involved with any of these ‘sports’ if they couldn’t gamble.

Reference is made to professional gamblers ‘beating the system’. Just how are they doing it? By monopolizing pools? by computer program selections seconds before post that ‘send it in’? I simply don’t comprehend how they have an advantage over my $2 wager to win, or my $2 pick three, et cetera. Sure their chances of cashing a ticket are far greater than my chances, but their losing huge amounts of money are also greater. And, if they are not on my plodder, I collect a much larger payoff. I have no problem with whales receiving ‘kickbacks’. Why not, they bet heavy and deserve a rebate. No different than a quantity discount in the market place. Ya still gotta pick the winner, no matter how much one wagers.

I am pleased that Governor Cuomo will gain control of NYRA. The ‘Good Ole Boys’ Club’, numbering twenty-six for years and years, will depart, and make available many dining room tables and choice club house seats at Saratoga (family, extended family, friends) for the people entering through the main entrance, having paid for parking and admission, and willingly pay a surcharge from 15 to 25% for the privilege to gamble.

As to the people applying for a seat on the NYRA board, I hope Governor Cuomo gives them the test I proposed in a previous post here at HRI.

It is certainly obvious that uniformity of rules and regulations be mandated.

Sorry to confuse you, wmc, but the glitches will be taken care of by the webmaster when he’s available.

As far as the “Governator” is concerned, haven’t he and his appointments to the CHRB done enough harm to racing?

Wouldn’t you want to see a horseplayer on the board; especially one who wasn’t a whale? I’ve heard that Ron Charles who ran Santa Anita for several years is someone who really understands gamblers and gambling as well as racetrack operations.

Since individuals are putting themselves forward, maybe JP and/or NK could be persuaded to throw their hats in the ring.

Who’s John Galt? Who’s Indulto?
How about Jerry Jamgotchian - that you Indulto?

How is a new board at NYRA going to promote Thoroughbred racing? Ya know, get Joe and Jill standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona interested in going to the races instead of a casino? How will rules and regulations that apply to all racetracks across the country, creating uniformity and consistency, going to get Joe and Jill enthused about racing? They ain’t, Alice!

A new NYRA board is desparately needed, as is a central authority governing all of racing; unfortunately, though, everyone, from Governors to politicians, to racetrack executives still can’t see the elephant looming: Thoroughbred racing is almost virtually dead, with just about all racetracks being kept alive from extraneous income - casino dole Alice!

What are Thoroughbred racing’s decision makers, the breeders and owners of thoroughbreds sitting on boards and racing organizations, doing about getting people to gamble on the ponies instead of going to casinos? Think improvement in banning drug usage, a reduction in takeout, replacing NYRA’s directors, or million dollar purses are the answer? Are these the reasons that the novice and casual bettor prefer the casino? Wrong, right Alice?

Promote Thoroughbred racing as a gambling venue first, then deal with drugs, takeout, NYRA, and obnoxious six-figure purses (that go to an owner, trainer, and jockey - so much for a wide distribution of the casino provided purse money).

Guess you’re not up on Pegram record regarding takeout, WMC. Unless, you know, you were being facetious.

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